Navigation systems are available that provide end users with various navigation-related functions and features. For example, some navigation systems are able to determine an optimum route to travel along a road network from an origin location to a destination location in a geographic region. Using input from the end user, and optionally from equipment that can determine the end user's location (such as a GPS system), the navigation system can examine various potential routes between the origin and destination locations to determine the optimum route. The navigation system may then provide the end user with information about the optimum route in the form of guidance that identifies the driving maneuvers required to be taken by the end user to travel from the origin to the destination location. The guidance may take the form of visual and/or audio instructions that are provided along the way as the end user is traveling the route. Some navigation systems are able to show detailed maps on displays outlining the route, the types of maneuvers to be taken at various locations along the route, locations of certain types of features, and so on.
In order to provide these and other navigation-related functions and features, navigation systems use geographic data. The geographic data may be in the form of one or more geographic databases that include data representing physical features in the geographic region. The geographic database includes information about the represented geographic features, such as one-way streets, position of the roads, speed limits along portions of roads, address ranges along the road portions, turn restrictions at intersections of roads, direction restrictions, such as one-way streets, and so on. Additionally, the geographic data may include points of interests, such as businesses, facilities, restaurants, hotels, airports, gas stations, stadiums, police stations, and so on.
Although navigation systems provide many important features, there continues to be room for new features and improvements. There is a need to gather and organize comprehensive, detailed, reliable, and up-to-date data about geographic regions. There is also a need to update the geographic data. Just like conventional printed maps, geographic data used in computer-based navigation systems can become out-of-date. For example, new roads are built, businesses change locations, road construction closes roads, detours are established, business hours change, and so on. Additionally, the accuracy of the geographic data may improve due to improved data collection techniques.
Updated versions of the geographic database are released more than once a year. For example, a geographic database update cycle may be quarterly or bi-annually, and this update cycle is expected to increase in frequency with technology improvements. However, the updated geographic database may not be available to all end users at the same time. Typically, a web-based mapping application receives and uses the updated geographic database before a navigation application located within a vehicle. In some cases, the updated geographic database for an in-vehicle navigation system may not be available for three or more years after a web-based mapping application uses the updated geographic database.
Newer device implementations can allow a user of a portable or an in-vehicle navigation system to access a web-based mapping application to select and then transfer a destination to their navigation system. This ‘destination management’ capability of connecting online mapping with a portable or in-vehicle navigation system addresses a primary area for improvement in all navigation devices, but also introduces the possibility for new types of errors. In this example, the destination information is transferred via a wireless connection or a portable media card and when the navigation system receiving the transferred destination does not have information regarding that destination, the potential for an error occurs such that the navigation system is unable to provide guidance to the destination. As a result, the user may become dissatisfied with his navigation system. Thus, it would beneficial to fulfill the expectations of the user so that the user enjoys using his navigation system and appreciates the convenience of the system.
Accordingly, a method and system are desired that would identify whether a navigation system is able to provide guidance to a destination and, if not, provide a user with options to solve the immediate need before encountering the before mentioned navigation device error. Further, there is a need for providing guidance to the user regarding when to obtain an updated geographic database.